My addiction.
Last week, I finished Simon Sinek’s book, Leaders Eat Last (for you keeping track at home, I’ve now started and finished 3 books in 2015. Working on 2 more right now).
When it comes to our religious and spiritual views, Sinek and I aren’t compatible. He writes Leaders from the perspective of man being an evolved animal. I don’t see it that way, but that’s okay.
His view of why the human body works the way it does, doesn’t negate how the human body works. That is what Simon Sinek bases Leaders Eat Last on.
Which leads to addiction.
My Chemical Romance.
Sinek believes in the tribal nature of man. We long to live among groups of people. The lone ranger is a myth. He bases this on how the chemicals our bodies create reward us for a tribe mentality…sometimes.
Sinek explores 5 chemicals our bodies create – Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin & Cortisol.
He describes endorphins and dopamine as “selfish” chemicals. Our bodies reward us with these two chemicals when we do things about us. On the other hand, serotonin and oxytocin are “selfless” chemicals. Our bodies gives us these chemicals when we do things about others.
Cortisol is neither selfish or selfless. It is self-preserving. We get shots of cortisol when we sense danger. It’s a chemical that helps us be alert in times of stress.
Sinek’s argument is as a society, we are learning to be addicted to dopamine and cortisol.
I’ll have a shot of…
So what’s your choice?
Dopamine?
Every time you achieve something find or something you are looking for you receive shot of dopamine. Positively, it comes when accomplishing a goal or finishing a task. There’s a negative side to dopamine too. We receive it when taking a drink of alcohol, a drag of nicotine, a bite of food or a glance at pornography.
However, the 21st Century has introduced a new dopamine – our phones.
We get a little shot of dopamine every time someone likes a post, sends a tweet or shoots us an email. Imagine every ‘ding’ of your phone sending you a shot of dopamine. A lot, right?
For the good, dopamine boosts our confidence to do the big things we are apprehensive about. For the bad, it can create in us addiction.
Cortisol?
Cortisol is what a gazelle receives when it’s being watched by a lion on the plain. Cortisol helps it go on high alert. Cortisol is the adrenaline shot you need to get through a stressful moment.
Upcoming performance reviews, a mistake in accounting, an impending deadline all cause the cortisone to flow.
Cortisol helps you push through to get the next thing done.
We can become addicted to cortisol too. We can become dependent on that shot of adrenaline, so we intentionally live and/or work in a stressful environments.
My drug is…
Hard as I tried, this post became a monster. So I’ve split it into two. In my next post, I’ll share what I’m addicted to. If you want, play a little game.
Tell me in the comments, what you think I’m addicted to – dopamine, cortisol or both.
I’m banking on Cortisol, Mr. Bondurant. From a short distance and where our lives have crossed, it seems you’re always moving, visioning, business making. And you’re doing it all with a high dose of quality. But while you’re tackling opportunity and unearthing new ground, you carry a rootedness about you that seems to shirk pretense, leading me to believe that your ego doesn’t need the stroking that dopamine mimics.
Interesting comment – Phil. I think you knew me (by that I mean interacted with me) at the height of my Cortisol phase. I don’t think it’s my natural inclination though. Dopamine is what I love, which is why I’ve disconnected so much from social media over the last year. It’s been good for me.